His closest assistants did not know everything that went on, as he received eyes-only papers in sealed envelopes, talked one-on-one with key staffers behind perpetually closed doors, and met daily or more frequently alone with both the White House chief of staff, Donald Regan, and the president himself.

But on the other hand, when you sit down in the Oval Office and they start bringing those eyes-only reports by your desk and you're looking at who is actually locked up, somebody is telling you this is a motley crew.

For 25 years Madeleine Albright has lived in this milieu, moving confidently from the casual confidences of the legislative lobby to the pinnacle of diplomatic posts, where she is fed a daily diet of eyes-only, top-secret papers.